The Problem
by Mizuki Ishida
Summary: Kurama wakes one morning with a little extra something on his face. What is it? How did it get there? Chapter 5 up, the plot is getting predictable ::sigh::
1. The Problem

The Problem  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of the other junk I may make use of here.  
  
Warnings: Umm, I dunno. Yaoi, I guess. It does start out with Hiei and Kurama in bed together (just being asleep...nothing naughty, though you can assume naughty things happened the night before. I do! XD)  
  
Author's Note: This story came about after hitting myself in the head with a DVD case (Yu Yu Hakusho 'Terrible Truths', to be exact) in pursuit of a bug. Long story short, I got a nasty bump in the middle of my forehead. That and I've been watching FLCL too much

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"What's that?"  
  
Kurama squeezed his eyes shut against the sunlight pouring through the window and buried his face against the warm body in his arms. A finger poked him in the forehead, causing a dull pain to flare to life. Snuggling down further, he muttered a muffled "Nani?" while trying to fall back to sleep.  
  
Hiei grumbled incoherently at the fox and poked him a second time. This time he was rewarded with a pair of emerald eyes blinking blearily at him. He almost smiled at the petulant expression on his lover's face. "What is it, Hiei? That hurt." Kurama put a hand to the spot that was receiving such abuse. "You've got something there..." An answer that was obvious enough when the redhead's hand came in contact with the bump that stood out from the middle of his forehead.  
  
'A pimple?' Kurama thought, still half asleep. 'It's awfully big...' He'd never had a pimple in his life. It was something that tiny narcissistic part of his mind was quite proud of. Letting go of the fire demon he had been clinging to, the kitsune made his way to the bathroom. One glance in the mirror made him choke back a scream. There, smack in the middle of his forehead and protruding from his bangs, was a rounded lump. Not a normal teenage blemish. The thing was huge. Tears welled up in his eyes as he turned to look at Hiei, who was standing in the doorway.  
  
Smirking, the shorter demon joined the other where he stood in front of the mirror. Hiei had no idea at all what was going on, but some part of him found this incredibly humorous. It looked for all the world like Kurama was growing a horn. The tears in the fox's eyes made him tone down the almost- smile that threatened to engulf his face. "What is it?" He asked again. The distraught look he was favored with almost made him laugh. Just something about that...thing...poking out from Kurama's hair when he was looking so upset was funny.  
  
A small noise pulled him out of his self-pity. The redhead looked down. Hiei had a hand to his mouth and was unsuccessfully trying to smother his laughter. The dark demon burst into full out guffaws at the glare directed at him. "Quit laughing, Hiei!" It came out just this side of sounding whiny. The kitsune huffed and turned back to the mirror to examine the new facial appendage more closely. The lump didn't look like some sort of infection or something. But it hurt a bit when he touched it, like a fresh bruise. The lack of laughter finally seeped into his consciousness just before he was grabbed by the wrist and brought down to meet a pair of intense red eyes.  
  
His amusement finally faded, the rusty, rarely used emotion fleeing in the face of this unusual situation. Something about this whole thing reeked. And as much as he hated to admit it, it looked like they might have to ask Koenma's opinion. Once Hiei had Kurama on eye level with him, he gave the blemish a closer inspection. It seemed like nothing to be worried about...wait. Cat-like eyes narrowed to barely there slits. There, just visible right in the middle of the offending protrusion, was a tiny red mark. Almost like a bug bite. As the Jaganashi looked on it gave twitch. "Stop moving."  
  
"But, I didn't." Kurama had been holding stock still during the 'examination'. Never mind that he really needed to go to the bathroom by now. He was finally released and allowed some privacy as the fire demon returned to the bedroom with a typical 'Hn'. After finishing his business, he went back to the bedroom to find Hiei seated on the bed. The little half- koorime's eyes were closed in deep thought. Unbidden to Kurama's mind came the comparison between the expression on his koi's face and the usual expression Koenma wore whenever they arrived for mission briefings. He hid his amusement as he sat next to the deep in thought youkai.  
  
Hiei made no move as he felt Kurama sit next to him. He was turning over various plans of action, trying to find one that didn't involve seeking help from anyone. Especially Koenma. Though after a moment the answer became obvious; Yukina. Her healing powers should be able to take care of whatever was causing that thing. "Yukina." His head snapped up and the fox repeated himself, "Yukina. She might be able to do something about this." Hiei nodded. It never ceased to amaze him how Kurama seemed to read his mind. "Get some clothes on, we're going to Genkai's."

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A/N: You know...this also reminds me of the episode of Teen Titans where Starfire goes through the 'change'. Check out this quick little craptacular sketch I did. Though you can't really see the thingie on his forehead. Oh well, who cares. Next chapter: The Consultation.  
  
http:www.geocities.com/chibiangelsalvia/problem.jpg 


	2. The Consultation

The Problem  
  
Disclaimer: I own Yu Yu Hakusho as much as I own the air you're all breathing right now...by the way, that'll be 10.50$  
  
Just kidding hehe  
  
Warnings: Umm, grossness. Kuwabara and Yusuke talking about pimple popping . POV kinda skips around here as well. But then, when do I write something where it doesn't?

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Chapter 2 – The Consultation  
  
It was still fairly early when they climbed the last steps to the temple. Hiei automatically fell in a step behind. Kurama wondered at that habit. Was it something the fire demon did knowingly, or was it an unconscious decision? His musings were cut short when they came within talking distance of the petite girl sweeping the grounds. "Ohayo gozaimas' Kurama-san, Hiei- san." The redhead returned Yukina's smile, "Ohayo gozaimas'." He tugged nervously at the hat he wore to cover his little 'problem'. Hiei was silent next to him, though he had spared a slight nod to Yukina in greeting.  
  
While the soft-spoken koorime wasn't the most...shall we say, perceptive, of people, she felt that something was definitely amiss. "What brings you here so early?" A small, pale hand flew to her mouth when Kurama removed the hat. The bump on his forehead stood out clearly. "Oh my! What is that?"  
  
"I don't know." Kurama looked over at his silent companion, "We were hoping that you could heal it." At this, they were quickly ushered into the nearest building by the polite girl. Genkai was seated on the floor, sipping her morning tea. She barely looked up at her guests. A moment passed in which Kurama and Yukina made themselves comfortable near Genkai while Hiei took up his usual spot against the far wall. The old Master finally set down her cup and looked over the kitsune with narrowed eyes. "Come here!" Genkai stood and waited as Kurama joined her. She stared intensely, frighteningly so, at the appendage. It seemed to grow and twitch under the scrutiny. "Hmmm..." She stepped back and gestured to Yukina. "Try and heal it." The koorime stood and framed the fox's face with her small hands. A faint light emanated from them, yet seemed to have no effect. In fact, it became clear that the blemish was growing.  
  
Gasping, Yukina pulled her hands back. A pair of spiky looking protrusions were now standing out from either side of the original lump. They twitched like bug antennae. "What?! What is it?" Kurama glanced at the others. Hiei had left his wall to watch in fascination as the newest additions moved in a sluggish, swimming motion. A loud, grating yell of 'Yukina- saaaaaaaaan!!!' cut short any comment the fire demon may possibly have made.  
  
Kuwabara skipped into the room like an oversized schoolgirl on drugs, followed at a safe distance by Yuusuke, who was thankfully not skipping. They stopped short at the unusual sight that greeted them. In not quite perfect unison, they both yelled, "What the heck is that?!!??!" By now the phrase was beginning to annoy even the usually composed Kurama. In a matter of seconds the two boys were in the redhead's face, poking and prodding at the newly metamorphosed bump. "What a sick looking pimple! I'd pop that if I were you, Kurama." Yuusuke left off tugging at one of the antennae. "Oh, gross! Get under cover before Urameshi squishes it!"  
  
Left eyebrow twitching something fierce, Hiei tried to control the urge to beat the two ningens into a bloody pulp for the harassment they were heaping upon his already distraught fox. Kurama batted away the Spirit Detective's hand that still hovered near his face. Yukina was looking very upset, obviously feeling responsible for making the situation worse. Genkai seemed unusually calm throughout the whole proceedings.  
  
After a few more minutes, things settled down and everyone was seated once again. Except for Hiei. He had gone back to his wall and was busily glaring daggers at Kuwabara. "But really," Yuusuke spoke, "what the heck happened to you? That thing is freaky!" A sigh escaped Kurama before he replied, "I don't know. It was there when I woke up this morning. We tried to have Yukina heal it." Said aqua-haired girl looked at her hands, "But I only made it worse..." Kuwabara took this opportunity to try and comfort his love interest, not to mention hold her hand. "Don't worry, Yukina-san! You couldn't have known that would happen!"  
  
A black blur flitted across the room, smacked the orange haired teen in the back of the head, and returned to other side of the room. "What are you going to do about it?" The red head looked deep in thought. "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this." A slight shake of the head from Genkai indicated that she knew as much as they all did about it. "Perhaps we should take you to Koenma-sama?" Botan peered at Kurama, her nose nearly touching his.  
  
The kitsune jumped backwards from the sudden appearance of the ferry girl. Grinning impishly, she took a seat close to Kurama. The antennae seemed to cringe away from the girl. Hiei had the sudden urge to walk over and plop down right between the two of them. "But Koenma-sama might know something." This idea was mulled over and a grudging agreement was reached. They would go see what Koenma had to say about this. It was better than sitting around while the thing twitched at everyone.

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A/N: I'm kinda playing around with the idea that no one knows about Hiei and Kurama's relationship. And with Botan having a crush on Kurama. Like a little subplot or something. Next chapter: The Experiments! 


	3. The Experiments

The Problem  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Jackie Chan Adventures.

Warning: umm, more icky things I guess. Hiei thinking about ways to vent his annoyance. One including doing _things _to his red headed boy toy, teehee

A/N: I had no idea how to spell Uncle's chant, so I guessed. If anyone actually knows tell me.

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Chapter 3 – The Experiments  
  
Hiei's stomach grumbled. They had skipped breakfast in their hurry to Genkai's temple. His fox smiled at him and tilted his head to the side, towards a table laden with donuts and drinks. The fire demon helped himself to an entire box of donuts and a cup of coffee that was more sugar and cream than anything. "Hey! Quit hogging the donuts, you chibi!" Kuwabara made an attempt to snag a few donuts from the box and ended up flat on his face as Hiei flitted away. The group was now six; Genkai had stayed at her temple while Botan had convinced Yukina to come along.  
  
They eventually entered the pacifier breathed godling's room. It looked the same as always. Dangerously high stacks of documents waiting to be stamped, or to fall to the ground in disarray. Whichever happened first. Jorge took notice of the Reikai Tantei first, his eyes growing to the size of saucers as his gaze settled on Kurama. His laughter caused Koenma to finally look up from his stamping. A few seconds later he was rolling on the floor laughing and gasping for breath.  
  
Eyebrow once again twitching something awful, Hiei finally spoke. "We didn't come here to provide amusement. What is this thing growing on Kurama's face?" It took nearly ten minutes for the laughter to stop. Once he'd wiped away the tears streaming down his face, Koenma became the newest person to get up close and personal with the redhead's little protrusion. After a moment's contemplation, binky sucker let out one of his trademark sighs and returned to his desk.  
  
"Well, what is it?" Kurama looked hopefully at the godling. Everyone waited with baited breath for the answer. "I have no idea." They all facefaulted. 'Some help he is,' thought Yuusuke. "But is there anything to do about it? I can't walk around with this...this thing!" The black haired delinquent smirked, "Yeah, then your fan club at school will run screaming from you. You won't be able to get a date for the school dances." The kitsune refrained from stating that he would love it if his multitude of stalkers would leave him alone, although he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with a twitching bug thing growing out of him, and that he didn't need a date for any of the dances since Hiei didn't go in for that sort of thing anyway.  
  
Koenma shot an irritated glare at Yuusuke. "I may not know what it is, but I'm sure there's a way to get rid of it. Jorge!" The loincloth wearing oni snapped to attention, "Hai, Koenma-sama?" Toddler Pants dug around in his desk for a moment before pulling out a scrap of parchment, a few vials, and a big dried blowfish out of a drawer. Within moments even Hiei was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Jorge was hopping up and down on one foot with the dried blowfish in one hand. "Yu mwo guwei gwai fai dii tsuao, yu mwo guwei gwai fai dii tsuao...Koenma-sama! I feel like an idiot!"  
  
"You look like one, too. Now quit whining and keep hopping!" A bright green light shot out of the fish, hitting Kurama's offending growth smack between its antennae. The protrubence shrank, disappearing under thick red bangs. Letting out a sigh of relief, the redhead reached up and felt to be sure it was gone. "Arigato Jorge, Koenma-sama." The relief he felt was very short lived. With an indescribably sickening noise, the growth reappeared. And it wasn't the same. A pair of green eyes, almost like miniature versions of the ones that its host had, were now blinking at the stunned faces that stared blankly at it. "Crap! Somebody squash that thing!" This eloquent exclamation came from the ever-tactful Kuwabara. Koenma pulled a vanity mirror from the depths of his desk so that Kurama would be able to see the latest addition to his face.  
  
Large green eyes mirrored the blinking of the little beady ones perched just below the antennae. He felt sick and put the mirror on the desk. Everything they tried made it worse! "That thing gets worse and worse. Maybe we should just quit while we're ahead?" This earned Yuusuke a glare that he returned with a shrug, "Maybe it will just go away on its own?" This earned him a second glare from the minute fire demon. Hiei was getting more and more annoyed with everything in general. What had stuck him as humorous was now making him upset and he didn't know how to deal with it. Usually he was able to take out his annoyance by hacking the object of his irritation into bits with his sword. But he couldn't very well try to remove the staring, twitching bump in this manner. Nor could he take out his frustration by hacking Kuwabara to pieces. He couldn't even take out the frustration in an alternate way, such as screwing his boyfriend into the ground. The sooner this was taken care of, the better.  
  
Kuwabara was using the current silence to try and flirt with Yukina, but as always his advances went right over her head. Koenma was busy flipping through a large tome that was threatening to crush Jorge with its weight. More heavy silence passed in which the redhead at the center of all of this was feeling much in need of a hug. He almost gave in to the need to cling to Hiei when a loud 'Aha!' broke the quiet. Jorge was sent out of the room with a ridiculously long list of items to gather while everyone looked on curiously.  
  
"Did you find something that will work?" Botan tried to look over the edge of the large tome, only to have it fall and land on her foot. As the ferry girl hopped around squeaking in pain, Yukina finally spoke up. "Yes, every thing we do seem to make it worse. What will happen to Kurama-san if this fails?" Kuwabara was instantly there to try and comfort her, "If anything happens I, Kuwabara Kazuma, will protect you from that...umm...evil pimple!" The comment was largely ignored by the others for its sheer stupidity.  
  
It wasn't long before Jorge returned, his arms leaden with a multitude of strange objects and containers. The set up for this spell took much longer than the failed 'blowfish' incident that only gave Kurama's pimple the gift of sight. Because nothing beats a pimple with antennas that can stare at you. By the time everything was ready Koenma's desk was shoved into the corner, Kurama was seated in the middle of a large chalk pentagram full of odd little symbols, and the others were placed in strategic (or so the spell said) places around the room with candles of varying colors in each of their hands.  
  
Koenma had changed into his teen for. Mostly likely because he cut a more impressive figure in the robes he'd put on than he ever would as a toddler. He began muttering strange sounding words, made stranger by the fact that he still had his pacifier in his mouth. A new light sprang to life in the room. A dark, soothing blue in hue this time. A gentle wind blew outwards from the center of the pentagram yet didn't cause a single candle to go out. Botan felt the need to twitch nervously, giggle, something! This standing still like this was murder! Nothing else seemed to be happening outside of the light and wind. Hiei was beginning to have even more serious doubt about this whole undertaking when the kitsune began to float. He was still seated, his eyes shut as he began to drift steadily upwards.  
  
The blue glow concentrated about the boy's head. Tense seconds passed. Then Kurama fell backwards to land with a harsh thud against the ground. At the same moment, the blinking protrusion was flung across the room propelled by the blue light. It landed with a slightly sickening thunk next to Koenma's desk. It was forgotten as everyone rushed to crowd around the fallen redhead. He seemed fine, his breathing was steady and there wasn't even a mark to indicate that something had taken up residence on his forehead. Kuwabara, smart boy he is, decided to be the first to see what was left of the thing. "Hey guys...this thing's _twitching_!"

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A/N: Okay people! Wasn't that dramatic and all? The moment you have been waiting for...will arrive next chapter! ::insert evil cackling here:: We will finally see exactly what this thing is and perhaps who is behind it! Next chapter – The Chase! Complete with pictures! 


	4. The Chase Begins

The Problem  
  
Disclaimer: ::is sick of writing the disclaimer...hands it over to a random character to do::  
  
Hawks-eye: ::clears throat:: Mizuki ::gets glared at:: I mean...Mizuki-sama (make me call you Beautiful Mizuki-sama and I'm going on strike) does not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Nor does she own Sailor Moon or InuYasha, both of which she mentions...somewhere. Now someone...SAVE ME FROM THIS MADWOMAN!!!  
  
Heheh, don't mind him. He's just upset over a run in his pantyhose.  
  
Warnings: Nudity, tee hee.

See the crappy Kura-clone pic through the link on my info page..it won't let me put the link here, dernit!!!

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Chapter 4 – The Chase Begins  
  
Blue light was still pulsating around the thing on the floor as Yuusuke and Koenma joined the orange haired ningen near the desk. "That is so disgusting..." Its antennae twitching, the lump was wriggling about with its eyes blinking madly. Yuusuke lifted a foot, intent on grinding the icky thing into the ground with his heel. The instant his shoe came into contact with it he was blown across the room. Yukina gasped. Hiei already had his sword in hand, quite ready and willing to hack and slash. He didn't get a chance. The light expanded around where the thing had landed, forcing Kuwabara and Koenma back several feet. It died suddenly, leaving in place of the bug-like thing a rather familiar silhouette. With the exception of feathery antennae and diaphanous dragonfly wings it was an exact duplicate of Kurama's human form. It was every inch Kurama, all the way down to...Botan blushed and quickly turned to face the wall, pulling Yukina with her.  
  
"Oi! Kurama's hung like a..." an 'oof' cut off the rest of the sentence. Yuusuke glared as he retracted his fist from Kuwa's ribcage. "For crying out loud, Yukina's right behind you!" The baka had the decency to look embarrassed. Hiei allowed himself a small, self-satisfied smirk. Yes, it was an exact copy when you took away the buggy extras. His gaze returned to the original, who was beginning to stir on the floor. The now unblemished Kurama staggered to his feet with a slightly disoriented expression. A look that multiplied a hundred fold when he caught sight of the nude figure on the other side of the room.  
  
The doppelganger was busily examining itself with an almost childlike wonder. It twitched its wings, a gleeful smile lighting its face. "That was the thing on my head?" Kura-clone's head snapped up at the sound of the kitsune's voice and a slight snarl curled its lips. It stared a moment longer, its features twisting from the rather cute, childlike expression into something almost hateful. Botan looked cautiously over her shoulder, her curiosity at what was going on getting the better of her. Kura-clone smirked at the blue haired reaper before he leapt to the side.  
  
It easily knocked Kuwabara reeling into Yuusuke, while Koenma had already taken up refuge behind his desk. Red hair flaring about its head, the doppelganger charged Hiei. But instead of knocking him out of its way, it leapt on him and wrapped its arms around the stunned demon. "Hiei-koi..." Kura-clone purred. "Hiei?" Yuusuke blinked at the furious demon. "K-k- koi??" Kuwabaka choked out. Katana waving around uselessly, Hiei tried to disengage the death grip the creature had on him. Even Yukina dared a glance from behind her hands in the direction of the struggle. Nothing could be funnier. With the exception of, perhaps, Hiei in a clown costume and prancing about like Suzuka. But since that wasn't about to happen any time in the near future, this was the next best thing.  
  
Eye flashing angrily, Kurama stepped forward from the gawking by standers with the intent of forcibly removing the thing from Hiei's personage. No one was allowed to cling naked to the fire demon but him! It froze when the redhead's hands touched its shoulders. Hiei was still growling 'Let go!' as the creature turned to look at the fox. "Mine!" Kura-clone snapped, tightening its grip to the point where everyone swore they could hear some of Hiei's ribs cracking under the pressure. Yuusuke came forward to help try and loosen the creature's arms before the short youkai was crushed. After a few moments of struggling, Kuwa joined in the effort. "No! Mine, mine, mine!" The doppelganger was shrieking. "My koi!!" The dark haired Tantei belted it across the side of the head hard enough to make it finally let go.  
  
"That thing keeps calling Hiei 'koi'. Why?" Botan had finally gotten over her embarrassment, though she still didn't look directly at the clone. The real Kurama shifted uncomfortably. He and Hiei had an agreement that they wouldn't tell anyone about their relationship. They both knew how enemies liked to turn such things to their advantage. It had been demonstrated more than once with Yuusuke and Keiko. "Hn, never mind." Hiei was straightening his cloak, "The thing is obviously insane." Binky breath finally decided to poke his head out from behind the desk.  
  
Looking dazed, the Kura-clone was sitting on the floor rubbing the spot that had just received the not so soothing touch of Yuusuke. Tears welled up in its eyes and it sobbed incoherent things into its hands. "What are we going to do with it?" Kurama eyed his crying double. He wondered if it knew where it had come from. It obviously had feelings, even if they mostly seemed to consist of anger and lust over Hiei. It was almost as if they were much more simplified versions of his own emotions. Something that could become awkward if anyone thought too deeply on it. That would most likely result in him having to answer some uncomfortable personal questions.  
  
"I wonder if it knows anything..." Yuusuke got nearer to the doppelganger, keeping just out of its reach. Kura-clone turned its tear-streaked face up to meet the detective's gaze. "What are you? Where did you come from?" A dark glare was all the boy got for his questions. Shaking his head, he said, "You try talking to it, Kurama. Maybe it'll answer you." That idea was scrapped when it began snarling again after the fox had taken only a few steps forward. "Perhaps Botan?" Kurama looked hopefully at the ferry girl. "M-me?" The girl looked at the ceiling as she got closer, not wanting to be caught staring at the next best thing to the real Kurama being naked. Antennae twitching, the clone gave that same smirk it'd directed at her earlier and gave her the finger. Laughter erupted from both Kuwabara and Yuusuke, since, in a sense, it was Kurama making the gesture. Something they never would expect to see.  
  
"Ah, okay. That didn't work." As the laughter died down, Hiei found the thing clinging to his leg like a child on the first day of school. "Dammit!" He pulled his sword and pointed it a Kura-clone. "Don't kill me...Hiei-koi..." A hand reached out and covered the half-koorime's where it gripped the sword. Kurama eased the point towards the floor. "Don't, Hiei. I'm sure we can figure out something that doesn't involve killing it." He smiled, a slight tinge of sadness to it, as he whispered in his koi's ear, "Could you really kill it, when it looks so much like me." Looking away, Hiei sheathed the katana for the second time that day with a sour expression on his face.  
  
Several minutes of discussion passed in which Kura-clone happily rubbed his face against Hiei's leg. "I suppose I could have it put in a cell. Something like that can't be left running around." The object of the discussion gave a sharp twitch, going rigid against the short demon. Antennae fluttering, the clone let go and stood. It looked around as if in search of something, turning its head this way and that. Without any warning, it pushed past those nearest to the door and took off down the hallway.

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A/N: The Kurama doppelganger was slightly based off of Menomaru from the first InuYasha movie. Mostly just because of the pretty moth-like antennae (I just love typing that word...antennae. I like it almost as much as Leather Lad!) This just kept going and going. Took me a while to get things back on track. I'm so easily distracted. And I love all my reviewers! Kurama loves you too! ::camera pans over to a Kurama action figure::  
  
Kurama Figure; ::stands there::  
  
Wave to your fans!  
  
Kurama Figure; ::still just standing there::  
  
He's just shy...  
  
Next chapter: The Chase Continues! Where is Kura-clone going? Why did it bolt? Will this story amount to anything? Wait and find out! 


	5. The Chase Goes On

**The Problem**  
  
Warnings: Kura-clone is still naked for a while. Just thought I'd warn ya, hehehe  
  
Author's Note: In reply to a few reviews, Kura-clone isn't really conscious of its nekkiness. Kinda like how animals and bugs don't realize they're nekkie. Or something like that. But I guess I can't put clothes on it. And I'm not too terribly fond of chapter four, but it served its purpose. This one too. Gah, I suck at this! ::hits head against the desk::  
  
**Chapter 5 – The Chase Continues**  
  
"We have to catch that thing!" Yuusuke shouted, already running down the hall in pursuit. "What if it escapes into the Ningenkai?" A naked Kurama look alike running around town? Definitely not good. The rest of the Reikai Tantei was hot on the dark haired youth's heels. "I'll just take Yukina back to Genkai's then, I guess." Botan called after them.  
  
Kura-clone's trail was easy enough to follow through the maze of corridors. They simply had to go down the ones full of stunned looking oni. Strange things happened all the time in Reikai, sure, but a naked guy with wings and antennae running about was odder than usual.  
  
It disappeared into a glowing portal just as its pursuers rounded the corner of the latest hallway. "No!" This was bad, really bad. That thing was on its way to the Ningenkai now. If anyone saw it there would be a lot of explaining to do. They rushed through the rapidly shrinking portal, coming out in the middle of a park. Grand, just grand. Lovely public place to be chasing after a naked doppelganger. So far, though, no shouts of alarm sounded and everything seemed quiet enough. Had it even come out here?  
  
"Can anyone feel its ki?" Yuusuke asked. All he got was a unified shaking of heads. No one had felt anything from it when it had first appeared. "Does it even have any kind of ki?" Good question. "I guess we'll have to do it the hard way. Kurama, you and Hiei search the west end of the park. Kuwabara and I are gonna cover the other end." He shrugged, "If its not here, we'll just have to spread out further, I guess." This was as good a plan as any. Outside of hanging Hiei upside down from a tree in hopes that it would come after him, of course. Seeing as that would never happen, this would have to do for now.  
  
---  
  
Kura-clone watched, concealed in the braches of the same tree its four pursuers were standing under. Being so close to the real Kurama caused their ki to overlap and covered the very slight difference between his and its. Once they had split up, it left the tree. It wanted to follow after Hiei, but something in the back of its little mind telling it to follow the small noise that had caused it to bolt in the first place. The sound wasn't irritating, but Kura-clone wanted it to stop.  
  
"Ahh, there you are." The quiet voice behind it caused the doppelganger to jump. "You look just like him. The wings are a bit much, but you'll do." A dark figure seemed to step out of nothing to look over Kura-clone. A second figure snorted, "Are you satisfied now?"  
  
"Hmm, yes, quite. Thank you, Suzaku." The first figure was still studying the clone, walking around it in slow circles.  
  
Suzaku snorted, idly twirling a small flute in one hand. "So where is my payment then?"  
  
"But you did not do as I wanted." The other gestured towards Kura-clone, "This was supposed to take the place of the real Kurama for them, not for me. I want the real thing. Not some cheap knock off!"  
  
Kura-clone was fascinated, and slightly frightened, by the two men talking. Its simple mentality was urging it into flight mode. Something about these men screamed 'threat'. Yet before it could bolt again, a cool hand grasped its shoulder. "Now, now. Just because you didn't work quite as planned doesn't mean we cannot still use you..."  
  
---  
  
'Why did this happen? What is that thing?' The thoughts circled around Kurama's head. There was no reason for this to be happening. 'Why me?'  
  
"Quit it, Fox."  
  
Kurama stopped, turning curious eyes on his companion.  
  
"I know what you're thinking. You can stop it. Nothing will change what happened." The short demon was pointedly not looking at the redhead.  
  
"I know, but—"  
  
"Ch'," Hiei sprinted ahead. This situation was unnerving enough, and now the kitsune had to start in with his...being himself. Usually he kept such thoughts to himself. But that didn't mean that the Jaganashi didn't know full well what was going through the redhead's mind. Hiei often wondered how Kurama could live under the guilt he seemed constantly burdened with.  
  
Said possibly guilt ridden youngster was currently following Hiei at a distance. He had no chance of keeping up with him in his ningen form and resigned himself to keeping a look out for the doppelganger.  
  
"What is up with that thing anyways? Why was it all hanging on Hiei like that? I mean, that was gross. And it called him koi." Kuwabara looked green around the gills.  
  
Yusuke was coming to his own conclusions. If the thing was like Kurama not only in appearance, but on some mental level as well, it meant that...Honestly, he wasn't all the surprised. He'd seen the way the two acted around each other. You would have to be blind not to see it. 'Hmm, maybe I should let them know that I know.' The detective was jolted out of his thoughts by a quick fist to the head. "Ow, what was that for?"  
  
"We're supposed to be looking for that thing before Kurama's reputation gets ruined or whatever." The carrot-topped human wasn't exactly all that enthused with the whole ordeal. By the time they'd made a full circuit of their end of the park he was wondering if this wasn't just someone's idea of a joke.  
  
The two reached the small clearing they had started from to find Kurama there by himself. "Hey, where's the shrimp? Did that thing eat him or something?"  
  
The kitsune shook his head, "No, he went off on his own. I think we should start checking farther out from here." He began walking back the way the others had come from. Something was chewing on the back of Yusuke's mind, but he ignored it for the moment in favor of concentrating on finding the clone.  
  
---  
  
"So far, so good."  
  
"Indeed, this may work out after all."  
  
Suzaku sighed, bored out of his mind. Why, oh why did he take this job? The former leader of the Four Saint Beasts wondered for the millionth time. Once he got paid he was splitting and leaving everything up to Karasu. Suzaku actually hoped the Reikai Tantei would find the masked psycho. After he got his payment of course. Reduced to taking on such things to make a living. Life sucked.  
  
---  
  
The story is getting out of my hands and running amok on it's own. I think I'll be happy once I get it finished. No chapter preview this time, folks. 


End file.
